Tuesday, October 7th, 2014

It has been trial and error for the New England Patriots. But there were very few errors involved when the Patriots deployed a different combination on the interior offensive line against the then-undefeated Cincinnati Bengals Sunday night.

With two-year starting center Ryan Wendell over at right guard, Dan Connolly opposite him at left guard, and rookie Bryan Stork in the middle, the pieces fit into place. And those pieces changed the complexion of New England’s offense on the way to unlocking Cincinnati’s defense.

It it began with aggressiveness at the line of scrimmage. Stork, a fourth-round pick in May, was an integral part of it. The Week 5 game marked only the second start of his season and NFL career, but aside from false start and holding penalties in the third quarter, the game proved to not be too fast for him.

Wednesday, October 30th, 2013

Two yards were gained on a halfback power run by Stevan Ridley in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. But New England Patriots starting right tackle Sebastian Vollmer was lost in the process.

On the 1st-and-15 strong-side carry, Ridley rushed through the B-gap before Dolphins defensive tackle Randy Starks was able to circle him up. Although as the 6’3”, 305-pounder latched onto the New England’s third-year back, momentum spun him around.

Momentum spun him around, and directly into the back of Vollmer’s legs.

The impact sent the 6’8”, 315-pound Vollmer down face first, screaming in pain and slamming his fists onto the turf. Both an unbearable sight and sound, it was later learned that New England’s 2009 second-round pick had broken a bone in his right leg, as Karen Guregian of The Boston Heraldfirst reported.

In one play, a 52-game starter saw his season end. And in one play, a one-game starter saw his season just begin.

Sunday, March 24th, 2013

RT Sebastian Vollmer will be staying in New England for the next four years.

NEPD Editor: Mike Loyko

The slow developing Offensive Tackle market may be hurting veteran free agents, but it has turned out to benefit the New England Patriots. There are multiple confirmed reports out this morning that the team and Right Tackle Sebastian Vollmer have agreed to a four year contract extension.

Getting Vollmer back in the fold is a big development for the Patriots. At one point, prior to free agency, it appeared that Vollmer was as good as gone.

Saturday, March 9th, 2013

It is a busy time for Bill Belichick and Nick Caserio.

NEPD Editor: Mike Loyko

The most exciting time of the NFL off-season is here. Free agency is a mere two days away from starting and the Patriots are well positioned, ready to attack the free agent market with 25.3 million in available cap space. By showing financial restraint after the lockout, the Patriots are primed to add to what is already a very competitive football team.

There still remains interest in resigning many of their own free agents and a robust buyers market means the Patriots expect to be active on Tuesday and beyond. Who will they target in free agency? Will they resign any of their own free agents? What holes can be filled via free agency?

All of these topics are discussed in this comprehensive 2013 Patriots free agency preview.

Thursday, February 21st, 2013

Allowing Aqib Talib (left) to walk could potentially result in a compensatory pick next season. (Photo: US Presswire)

NEPD Editor: Matthew Jones

At this point, there’s an argument to be made that New England should attempt to re-sign all three of their major free agents: wide receiver Wes Welker, offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer, and cornerback Aqib Talib. The aforementioned players were all major contributors in New England’s successful 2012 season, and it’s possible that releasing any of the players could create holes on the roster which New England may find themselves unable to fill immediately, especially as they attempt to upgrade their roster in other areas with a limited number of draft picks. However, it may be even wiser for the Patriots to let some or all of those free agents depart this offseason.

Monday, December 31st, 2012

We haven’t reached Wild Card weekend in the playoffs yet, but it’s that time of year where we begin to look forward to the offseason. The Patriots aren’t a team that generally spends a lot of money in the offseason outside of signings like Adalius Thomas.